Vending machine



Oct. 29, .1946. c. F. PEASE VENDING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Cfiarzesjjzas e BY Oct. 29, 1946 C. F. PEASE VENDING MACHINE Filed May 24 194s 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 JT Z2 4-:

EN TOR.

fiarzesj ease Oct. 29, 1946. F, 'PEASE 2,410,231

VENDING MACHINE Filed May ,24, 1945 3 Sheets-@Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

BY V

I 10 W? e3.

Patented Oct. 29, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENDING MACHINE Charles F. Pease, Long Beach, Calif.

Application May 24, 1943, Serial No. 488,131

Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in vending machines and more particularly to the interchangeable assemblage of dispensing units in a cabinet, whereby'magazines for holding different articles or packages to be dispensed can be easily and quickly arranged from time totime as desired in the cabinet in juxtaposition to suitable controlled operating means sothat any one of the units can be operated as-desired to dispense its contents. I

The present application provides improved mechanism; Fig. 3 is a section of a detail taken means for easily and quickly changing dispensing units of various types as are illustrated in my companion applications, Serial No. 370,272, filed Dec. 16, 1940; Serial No. 46%,452, filed Nov. 4, 1942; Serial No. 464 838, filed Nov. '7, 1942, and Serial No. 465,775, filed Nov. 16, 1942, and as disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,309,008, granted Jan. 19, 1943, or other types wherein a plurality of dispensing units can be readily assembled. in any interchangeable position in a cabinet or its equivalent, each unit having a suitable actuating elementv which can be made to readily interconnect with hand controlled operating means also contained in the cabinet. The various types of vending machine ,units with which my invention is applicable may be em ployed to dispense various articles such as gum, post cards, single articles of various kinds and packages containing various articles, the invention permitting the various types to be readily assembled or interchanged in position. whenever and as desired. As a result. a cabinet containing my improved interchangeable means permits of readily dispensing a single or a plurality of selected articles either with or Without the use of suitable coin control apparatus.

The primary object of theinvention is to provide simple and inexpensive means in a cabinet by which dispensing units canbe assembleclor interchanged so that a single or any desired number ofkinds of articles or packages containing the articles or, both can be dispensed, by-the use of suitable actuating means,. operating either directly or in conjunction with any suitable coin controlled means.

In the accompanying drawings, forming. part of this specification, Fig. 1. is a front elevation of a cabinet, showing a plurality of article dispensing units assembled therein in accordance with my inventiomj Fig. 2 is a rear elevation looking at the inner front side, of, a portion of the, cabinet and showing the dispensing unitsvin conjunctionwith actuating means, which latter on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a cross section of a detail taken on the line 4. 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale of a detail showing a portion of one of the dispensing units mounted in the cabinet and'the actuating means therefor; Fig. 6 is aplan of one of the clasps by which each dispensing unit is removably held in operating position in the cabinet; Fig. 7 is an edgeview of the structure shown inv Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an end view of the structure shown in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a section of a detail taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. Sand-Fig. 10 is an elevation looking at the back of one typical form of dispensing unit with which my invention is adapted for use.

In the drawings, A is a cabinet which may be of any suitable construction, that shown being mad out of thin sheet metal or other suitable material, shaped into a container having a vertical front section hinged to a back section, which sections when closed forming an enclosing shell.

The front section has a vertical oblong opening H3, in which a vertical series of dispensing units B are retained. The margin of the opening Hli's reinforced by the band H (see Fig. 4), whichis T shaped in cross section, the arm l2 of the T presenting a trim or finished edge portion around the opening, and the web l3 providing a broad band against which the face plates Id of the dispensing unitsB are seated.

The dispensing units B may be of any type desired, several different types being disclosed in my companion applications and the patent above identified. Each of these units has a rectangular face plate M of the particular type which is adapted for the use to which the unit is appli cable, for instance, the upper two units as shown in Fig. 1 are adapted for dispensing packages of gum as disclosed in the patent referred to above and the units below are adapted for dispensing articles or packages of peanuts, life savers, candy bars, post cards, etc.

The front side 15 of the cabinet'has its marginal portion surrounding the opening I0 and band l2 struck inwardly, corresponding with the web l3 of the band and laterally away from said opening to form a reinforcing flange l6, which issecured at each side of the opening to a vertically disposed supporting rail I! by riveting l8 or other suitable means. Each supporting rail H is bent forwardly to provide feet l9at its extreme upper andlower ends resting against the inner .face of the front side l5. of the cabinet,

is shown in correlation. with, coin controlled which maintain. the rail inoutstanding position,

3 thus providing a vertical channel 20 substantially the entire length at each side of the dispensing unit receiving opening 10.

The face plate of suitable design for each dispensing unit B has a pair of vertical angular reinforcing flanges 2| which seat in the angular side margin provided by the marginal band i2, whereby the face plate I4 is retained forwardly in the opening l0. Each of said flanges 25 is provided with a laterally extending vertical holding wing plate 22 which rests against the back of the supporting rail l1 and the flange l5 thereon, when the face plate of the dispensing unit is inserted in place in the opening Iii. In this position the wings are held by the manually operable clasps C as will be hereinafter described. It is noted that flanges i6 terminate at or near the upper and lower ends of the opening it] and that the ends IQ of the supporting rails i'i proiect beyond the ends of the bands.

As many of the clasps C are provided as desired for each dispensing unit, which is held in the opening l0. As shown in Fig. 2, a single pair is shown, one member being disposed at each side of each dispensing unit. Each clasp comprises an arm 25, freely hinged near its upper end by one of the rivets IS on the supporting rail ll back of the flange !6 of the front wall of the cabinet. The lower free end of this arm is formed with a pair of resilient jaws 26 which are adapted to clasp the supporting rail and one of the wing plates 22 together, thus holding a dispensing unit in the opening Id. When the clasps are swung apart the dispensing unit is released and can be removed or replaced. The use of the clasps avoids the necessity of using any tools for making adjustments and dispenses with the use of screws or bolts for holding the parts, which usually are unhandy to use in connection with mechanisms employed in dispensing units. In this manner any series of vending units can be assembled in the opening l and varied from time to time as desired by opening the cabinet and replacing any one or more without the use of tools.

The dispensing units B may be of any suitable type, that shown resembling the various kinds above referred to, in each of which a suitable driving element such as the reciprocable operating member 3% and pin 3!, shown in Figs. 5, 9 and 10 are employed. This operating element 30, as shown, corresponds with the operating element 26 shown in my Patent No. 2,309,008, to which reference is made for greater particularity. Associated with this operating element is a suitable actuating device D for each unit, mounted upon the inner face of the front wall i of the cabinet and provided with the hand operable reciprocable shaft 32 which projects forwardly and slides through said wall. A head piece 33, exposed on the front of the cabinet and mounted upon said shaft, enables one to operate the actuating device whichin turn causes the operation of the dispensing unit. Each actuating device is fixed permanently or removably in the cabinet in a position corresponding with a dispensing unit to be operated and is provided with an arm 34 which is tilted when the shaft 32 is reciprocated. This arm has a pair of wings or flanges 35, spaced sufficiently apart on its free end to engage the pin 3i freely and thus provide an operative connection with operating member 30 when the vending unit is secured in the opening it of the cabinet. The actuating deviceis of that type. ofconstruction clearly. disclosed in mycompanion applications above iden- 4 tified, to which reference is made for a detailed description.

The various actuating devices D are also controlled by any suitable coin control mechanism such as indicated by E (Fig. 2) the specific construction of which may resemble that disclosed in my companion application Serial No. 465,775. This coin control is permanently or removahly mounted in the cabinet and is operatively connected with the various actuating devices D, through the series of coin controlled reciprocable operating rods 36 by the respective link connections 37, one operating rod being employed for each actuating device and its associated dispensing unit.

In Fig. 10, I have illustrated by a rear elevational view, a typical type of dispensing unit such as is indicated by the uppermost dispensing unit of the series shown in Fig. 2, with which my improved apparatus is adapted for use. The particular unit illustrated is of that type disclosed in my companion application for patent filed November '7, 1942, bearing Serial Number 464,838. The type illustrated is adapted to dispense post cards. In this unit is shown one of the operating arms 30 and its pin M for registration and cooperating with the wings or flanges 35 of the reciprocable arm 34 of the actuating device D. The operating arm member 30 includes the horizontal connecting member 60 which is shown attached thereto by the screws il, said connecting member in turn being attached to the post card ejector 42 of the dispensing unit 13, by screws 43. In Figs. 2 and 5 the operating arm member 30 is indicated only diagrammatically and partly by broken lines in each instance.

In use the dispensing units of any type desired are assembled in superimposed position in the back of the front side E5 in the opening E0 of the cabinet. In this position the clasps C are swung down into engagement with the supporting rails IT and the wings 22, thus releasably clamping the latter together and holding the dispensing units in the opening. In assembling the dispensing units in the opening iii the pin 3| on each operating member such as 30 is juxtaposed in operative engaging position between the corresponding pair of shoulders 35 on the tiltable arm 3 of the companion actuating unit D. In this manner the various dispensing units of substantially corresponding size and the face members of which are of substantially corresponding shape are readily assembled ready for use and permit of being readily rearranged or replaced without the use of tools when ever desired. 7

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out byother means and applied to uses other than those above set forth within the spirit thereof and within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class set forth, a cab inet section having an opening in one of its walls, a series of dispensing units superimposed in said opening, a support having its ends bent forwardly and secured upon, and its intermediate portion spaced away from, the inner surface of s aid wall along each side portion of said, opening, said dispensing units having side wings overlying said supports, and clasps hinged upon said supports and having jaw members adapted to separably engage and hold the supports and overlying wings of the dispensing units together, said cabinet section being open at its rear to give access to said clasps, whereby the dispensing units are readily interchangeable in the opening in said cabinet.

2. In a mechanism of the class set forth, a cabinet section having an opening in one of its Walls, a plurality of dispensing units positioned behind said opening, each unit having laterally extending engaging members on opposite side portions thereof, supporting members secured to said cabinet adjacent to said opening having portions spaced inwardly from said wall in front of said engaging members, and clasps having portions overlying said supporting and engaging members to retain the dispensing units in said opening, said clasps being movably mounted in the cabinet to disengage and release said engaging members and permit the removal of said dispensing units, and said cabinet section being open at its rear to give access to said clasps.

3. In a mechanism of the class set forth,'a cabinet section having an opening in one of its walls, a series of dispensing units corresponding with said opening, each unit having side flanges on opposite side portions thereof, an operating member on each unit and a drive pin on each operating member, clasps movably supported in said cabinet and engageable with said flanges to removably retain the dispensing units in said opening, an actuating device for each dispensing unit, wings on the actuating device normally engaging said pin but readily separable therefrom to permit removal of the dispensing units rearwardly from said opening, said cabinet section being open at its rear to give access to said clasps and permit the removal of the dispensing units.

4. In a mechanism of the class set forth, a cabinet section having an opening in its front Wall, strips secured in the cabinet adjacent the front opening therein, each of said strips having a portion off-set to be spaced from the front Wall of the cabinet, a series of dispensing unit's having front faces positioned in said opening and side flanges extending therefrom within the cabinet and overlying said strips, operating elements on said dispensing units, actuating devices mounted in the cabinet in proximity to said opening and separably engaged with said operating elements, and clasps mounted in the cabinet having portions readily movable into and out of engagement With said side flanges and strips to removably retain the dispensing units in said opening, said cabinet section being open at its rear to give access to said clasps.

5. In a mechanism of the class set forth, a cabinet section having a front opening and open at the rear, said cabinet section having vertical strips secured therein adjacent the front opening, each said strip having a portion off-set to be spaced from the front wall of the cabinet, a dispensing unit insertable in said front opening from the rear and having rearwardly off-set laterally extending flanges overlying the vertical strips, and clips separably securing said strips and flanges.

CHARLES F. PEASE. 

